The invention relates to a display apparatus, and more particularly to a display apparatus suitable for displaying athletic data such as play time and game points of the teams in a basketball game.
A typical display apparatus for use in gymnasiums is disclosed in Japanese Patent Early Publication 8-332255. This display apparatus has a feature that it is portable and that it may simultaneously display such pieces of information as players"" ID numbers, ranks, points evaluated by judges, play time, and total game points which are useful especially in Karate matches. The display apparatus includes a body having a generally parallelepiped housing, a display board mounted on the housing, an upright support rod extending from the bottom of the housing, and a base for supporting the housing.
Although the above mentioned display apparatus is portable, it is difficult for a single person to transport the entire display apparatus by himself, since the apparatus has three large components, i.e. the housing, support rod, and the base.
The display apparatus has a further drawback that it is unable to provide a further timer to show a remaining period in a 30-seconds rule (a rule that a player must try a throw-in in 30 seconds) in a basketball game, which is needed in addition to the display for the two kinds of information (i.e. the game points and the remaining play time) in each half of the game. Therefore, an extra timer for the 30-seconds rule is needed, which extra timer causes, however, the players and the spectators to look at the two separate displays, thereby often disturbing them to concentrate on the game.
The invention can overcome aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art display apparatuses by providing an improved compact athletic data display apparatus which is portable and foldable when it is not used.
The invention is also directed to a convenient athletic data display apparatus suitable for a basket ball games.
In one aspect, an athletic data display apparatus of the invention comprises a generally rectangular flat control section having on one side thereof key input means, the control section that can be placed on a level place; and a generally rectangular flat display area having a display front for displaying athletic data such as predetermined play time and game points entered by said key input means, wherein the display area is rotatably connected with the control section by means of hinges and said display area is foldable onto said control section with its backside resting on the control section when said apparatus is not used.
In operation, an operator of the display apparatus places the control section on a desk, for example, and lifts up the display area to the upright position by rotating it about the hinges. The display front is then directed towards the players and the spectators, leaving the control section behind the display front. In order to show various athletic data on the display front to the players and the spectators, the operator may enter the data via the key-input means. The display front may be rotated about the hinge means through an arbitrary angle so that the display front can be set at the most convenient angular position for the players and the spectators to see it.
The control section may be provided thereon with an additional monitor for indicating the same athletic data as shown on the display front.
Thus, although the operator is unable to watch the data shown on the display front, he can confirm the data on the monitor, which helps him enter the data correctly. In addition, he can easily recognize development of the game by recognizing the remaining play time on the monitor.
The display front preferably has a first display area on the upper half of the display front, second display areas located at the right and left sides of the lower half of the display front, and a third display area between the second display areas.
In this arrangement, the first, the second, and the third display areas can individually display different types of data simultaneously so that the apparatus can be used as a versatile athletic data display apparatus capable of displaying a wide range of athletic data.
When it is used as a display apparatus for basketball games, it can show the play time elapsed on the first display area and game points on the second display areas. The third display area can be used as a 30-seconds rule timer.
In this manner, all of the three major elements of an athletic data in a basketball game, i.e. remaining play time, game points, and remaining time in a 30-seconds rule, can be shown on the same display front, thereby allowing the players and the spectators to look at the relevant data on the same display and grasp the game in a moment, without being distracted from an exciting play.